Incandescent-lamp socket and switch.



I. L. CASH.

INGANDESGENT LAMP SOCKET AND SWITCH.

-APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 15, 1908.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

INVENTOI? Ira Z. Casb/ m I zga ATTORNEYS wfl gik WM FE- 18 IRA LAFAYETTE CASE, OF PORTL AI ID, OREGON.

INOANDESGENT-LAMP SOCKET AND SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application filed February 15, 1908. Serial No. 416,054.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, IRA L. CASH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Incandescent Lamp Socket and Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to incandescent l0 lamp sockets, and the object of the invention is to improve the construction at the socket, and particularly that of the switch, for turning thelamp on or off.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partsto be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the'accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all'the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a socket constructed according tomy invention, the lamp being shown in elevation; this view is taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4, but is upon a reduced scale; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the socket, showing the switch in the ofi' position; that is, with the current turned off through the lamp; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane in which the section Fig. 1 is taken; "ig. 4 is a cross section through the lamp socket taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken at the side of the socket and illustrating the means for locking the insulating block against rotation. This view shows the parts in inverted position.

Referring more particularly to the arts, 1 represents the: body or shell of the socket, which is formed of light sheet metal, terminating in a removable cap 2 at its lower end, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Vithin this shell there is placed a liner or lining 3, of insulating material. In the lower end of the shell 'there is received an insulating block 4. This block is formed as shown in Fig. 4, with a transverse cut or opening 5, which extends continuously from side to side of the block. The side walls (3 of this out are parallel with a radial line passing from the center of the socket,-as illustrated. This block is of substantially circular form so as to conform to the cylindrical outline of the shell, and on one side it is provided with a circumferem' tially disposed cut or recess 7 which communicates with the cut 5 as shown. In this curved cut 7 a curved contact plate 8 is attached, the said contact plate being formed at one end with a downwardly-extending fin 8* having a binding post 9 to which one of the circuit wires 10 may be attached as shown in Fig. 1. This contact plate 8 is held in place by a screw 8 passing through the block from its upper face and countersunk as shown. Diametrically opposite to the binding post 9 a radial cut or recess 11 is formed near the middle oft-he block, and at this point a conductor plate 12 is placed; its outer portion is bent as shown, and formed with a binding post 13 to which the circuit wire 14 is attached as shown in Fig. 1. This conductor plate 12 extends inwardly radially, and receives a stem 16 having a reduced stud 15 which is formed on the lower end 1 thereof, and this stem passes down from the lamp. On this stud 15 there is pivotally mounted a switch lever 17 of fiber or similar insulating material, and this lever is formed at one end with anfenlarged head 18 which projects through a slot or notch 19 formed in the'lower edge of the body 1, as indicated most clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. The head 18 is formed with curved fingers 20 which project in opposite directions, and conform to the curvature of the shell, as indicated in Fig. 4. p

On the outer side of the shell lat the ends of the slot 19, the words Off and On are inscribed, as indicated in Fig. 2. From this arrangement, when the lever 17 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, the word Ofi' will be visible, but when the lever is in its opposite position, the word On will appear, indicating that the current is turned on.

The stem 16 referred to above, is formed with a fiat. screw head 21 and is provided with threads at its lower end which screw into the conductor 12, as indicated in Fig. 1. The block 4 substantially fills thecross section of the shell, and forms a seat for the inner end of the socket cup 23. This socket cup is formedof light sheet metal and fits snugly in the upper portion of the shell. It is formed with a spun thread so as to enable the threads 24 of the incandescent lamp to engage therewith when the lamp bulb is being attached to the socket One of the leading-in wires 25 is in contact with the stem 16 through the metal button 30 which introduced and seated in this relation.

seats on the head 21, while the other leadingin wire 26 is connected with the side of the cup 23, as indicated in Fig. 1. At one side, the cup 23 is formed with a downwardly extending tongue 27, the lower end whereof is bent into a horizontal position so as to form a contact ear or plate 28 which is countersunk into the block. This contact ear is disposed directly over the aforesaid contact plate 8; its position is indicated in Fig. 4 in dotted lines. When the lever 17 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, no connection is made from the tongue 27 to the contact plate 8, so that the circuit through the lamp remains open. The end of the lever 17 adjacent to the tongue 27 is provided with a contact pin 29, I

the head whereof is below and rests upon the upper face of the contact plate 8. The upper end of the pin projects above the upper face of the lever so as to enga e the tongue 28, as indicated in Fig. 3. T e plate 8 is resilient and holds itself against the under side of the lever as indicated.

In order to fix the block 4 against rotation, I provide a slot 31 in the side wall of the block. I then form a pin or stud 32 integrally.

from the"wall of the shell, as indicated in Fig. 4, w hich pin slides into the slot from its open end when the parts are assembled, as will be readily understood. At a suitable point, the liner 3 is provided with an opening 3 which receives the pin 30 as indicated in Fig. 5. It should be,understo0d that the liner is quite pliable, which permits it to be The cap 2 is formed with a tubular neck 33, which is internally threaded to enable the lamp to be attached to a fixture if desired.

In attaching the parts to the block, the switch lever is inserted in the cut 5 and the conductorplate 12'is pushed into place; the stem 16 is then inserted through the upper face of the block and screwed into the plate 12. In, this connection, attention is called to the advantage of thereduced ti or stud 15; on account of its reduced size, t is tip facilitates the entrance of the stem into the conductor plate. In placing the block in the case, the cap 2 is detached from the body 1;

the electric wires 0 and 14 are .passed through the threade neck and attached to the binding posts. The block is then insertedin the shell froin the lower end, the lever l7 being introduced in the notch or slot 19; the cap is then placed on the body 1, in this way forming the lower, edge for the slot.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An incandescent lamp socket having a shell with a slot therein, and a switch lever mounted on the axis of said socket and projecting through said slot, said switch lever having laterally pro'ectin fingers which ma cover the outer ace 0 the shellat the on s of said ,slot, said shell havingcharacters thereupon near said slot which when uncovered indicate that the switch is closed or open, and contact plates ooiiperating with said lever for leading the current through the lamp. 2. An incandescent lamp socket, compris ing a shell, an insulating block having a transverse cut and having a recess in the side face thereof,a radially disposed conductor 1 plate having means in said recess for attachtactpla'te coiiperating with said contact P 3. An incandescent lamp socket, comprising a shell having a slot, a block within the shell, a conductor plate within the block, a stem passing down into the said block from above, a switch lever pivoted to the stem and projecting through the slot, contact plates within the block s )aced apart from each other, and means a justable transversely of the lever for moving between said plates to place them in electrical connection with each other when the lever is swung.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IRA LAFAYETTE CASH.

Witnesses:

D. P. PRICE, 

